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Heterosexual College Students Who Hookup with Same-Sex Partners Archives of Sexual Behavior https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1194-7 ORIGINAL PAPER Heterosexual College Students Who Hookup with Same‑Sex Partners Arielle Kuperberg1 · Alicia M. Walker2 Received: 9 December 2016 / Revised: 13 March 2018 / Accepted: 14 March 2018 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract Individuals who identify as heterosexual but engage in same-sex sexual behavior fascinate both researchers and the media. We analyzed the Online College Social Life Survey dataset of over 24,000 undergraduate students to examine students whose last hookup was with a same-sex partner (N = 383 men and 312 women). The characteristics of a signifcant minority of these students (12% of men and 25% of women) who labelled their sexual orientation “heterosexual” difered from those who self- identifed as “homosexual,” “bisexual,” or “uncertain.” Diferences among those who identifed as heterosexual included more conservative attitudes, less prior homosexual and more prior heterosexual sexual experience, features of the hookups, and sentiments about the encounter after the fact. Latent class analysis revealed six distinctive “types” of heterosexually identifed students whose last hookup was with a same-sex partner. Three types, comprising 60% of students, could be clas- sifed as mostly private sexual experimentation among those with little prior same-sex experience, including some who did not enjoy the encounter; the other two types in this group enjoyed the encounter, but difered on drunkenness and desire for a future relationship with their partner. Roughly, 12% could be classifed as conforming to a “performative bisexuality” script of women publicly engaging in same-sex hookups at college parties, and the remaining 28% had strong religious practices and/or beliefs that may preclude a non-heterosexual identity, including 7% who exhibited “internalized heterosexism.” Results indicate several distinctive motivations for a heterosexual identity among those who hooked up with same-sex partners; previ- ous research focusing on selective “types” excludes many exhibiting this discordance. Keywords Hookups · Same-sex sexual behavior · Sexual identity · Internalized heterosexism Introduction when given that option, and same-sex attraction was reported by 5% of men and 13% of women, but only 2% of men and Many people engage in same-sex sexual encounters or desire 4% of women identifed as LGB (Savin-Williams & Ream, them but maintain a heterosexual identity; others who adopt a 2007). Another study representative of U.S. 15–44 year olds lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) or other sexual minority identity found 9% of women and 3% of men who identifed as het- later relinquish it for a heterosexual one (Diamond, 2003; erosexual had same-sex sexual experience (Chandra, Copen, Hamilton, 2007; Walker, 2014a, 2014b; Ward, 2015). One & Mosher, 2013). study of college students found 30% of women and 19% of Several theoretical frameworks have been proposed to men who identifed as heterosexual reported same-sex attrac- explain this discordance. Some studies with limited samples tion (Hoburg, Konik, Williams, & Crawford, 2004). A study examined “the closet” or “the down low” (Boykin, 2005; Ford, representative of 18–26 year olds in the U.S. found 3% of Whetten, Hall, Kaufman, & Thrasher, 2007; King, 2004; Phil- men and 11% of women identifed as “mostly heterosexual” lips, 2005). Others focused on college “hookup culture” and expectations of sexual experimentation, including young women hooking up with other women at parties, ostensibly to * Arielle Kuperberg attract men (Diamond, 2005; Kimmel & Plante, 2002; Kuper- [email protected] berg & Padgett, 2015; Wade, 2017; Ward, 2015). A third line 1 Sociology Department, The University of North Carolina of research examined LGB identity acquisition (Cass, 1979, at Greensboro, PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402‑6170, 1996; Horowitz & Newcomb, 2002; Kaufman & Johnson, USA 2004). Negative feelings about homosexuality among those 2 Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Missouri State with same-sex attractions or “internalized heterosexism” may University, Springfeld, MO, USA Vol.:(0123456789)1 3 Archives of Sexual Behavior also be a factor (Kaufman & Johnson, 2004; Taylor, 1999). We sexual encounters, they rejected a bisexual identity, instead examined whether a heterosexual identity among these students explaining these acts as due to their “freakiness,” which they correlated with characteristics that would be predicted by these felt was the accurate term for their sexual orientation (Walker, distinct and sometimes-competing frameworks, and the extent 2014b). Budnick (2016) found women with the least edu- to which students comprised distinguishable groups described cation reported the most lifetime same-sex sexual events, by these theories. but for some early entry into motherhood closed-of sexual exploration and possible development of a LGBQ identity. Same‑Sex Hookups Among Self‑Identifed Heterosexuals College Hookup Scripts and Same‑Sex Hookups Among Heterosexuals Public fascination with self-identifed heterosexuals hooking up with same-sex partners arose in the 1990s, along with phrases Recent literature examined college hookups, casual sexual “on the down low” and “on the D.L.” Originating among Afri- encounters which most college students participate in, that can-Americans, these idioms originally referred to any act done can range from an intense “make-out” session to intercourse secretly, but became associated with men who “publicly pre- (Bogle, 2008; England, Shafer, & Fogarty, 2008; Kuperberg sent as heterosexual while secretly having sex with other men” & Padgett, 2015, 2016; Reiber & Garcia, 2010). Hookup (Boykin, 2005; Ford et al., 2007; Phillips, 2005). Others used rates and risk-taking during hookups have been found to dif- “in the closet” to describe LGB individuals hiding their sexual fer by gender, GPA, race, religiosity, mother’s education, and identity in public, or even to themselves (Seidman, Meeks, & age (Kuperberg & Padgett, 2015, 2016, 2017). The college Traschen, 1999). Academic literature opted for “men who have hookup scene is an opportunity for students to experiment sex with men” or “MSM,” a term potentially obscuring the with and afrm non-heterosexual sexual identities or to con- meaning-making of sexuality (Young & Meyer, 2005). frm a heterosexual one (Rupp, Taylor, Regev-Messalem, Research on same-sex sexual encounters is generally lim- Fogarty, & England 2013). Social “scripts,” or expectations ited and subject to sample bias. Some examined risk-taking of behavior, position college as a “time to experiment” sexu- and sexual activity in same-sex hookups from a larger sample, ally (Kuperberg & Padgett, 2015; Simon & Gagnon, 2003) but most research focused on select groups, such as couples in and may encourage same-sex hookups even among those long-term relationships or those identifying as LGB (Eisenberg, without same-sex attractions. Many dismiss these hookups 2001; Kuperberg & Padgett, 2015, 2017; Peplau & Fingerhut, as “experimentation” or “accidental” (Ward, 2015). 2007; Rust, 1992). Past research also mostly focused on men Some women engage in same-sex hookups to attract men’s and recruited subjects from biased sources, including web- attention as an established part of the college hookup “sexual sites, bars, or parks known to be frequented by MSM or LGBT script” (Diamond, 2005; Wade, 2017). Women often conduct organizations and magazines (Brady & Busse, 1994; CDC, this “performative bisexuality” in public spaces for the bene- 2010; Cole, Kemeny, Taylor, & Visscher, 1996; Hightow et al., ft of a male audience, as it is a commonly reported “turn-on” 2006; Kaufman & Johnson, 2004; Koblin et al., 2000; Lindley, for heterosexual men (Kimmel & Plante, 2002). Hamilton Nicholson, Kerby, & Lu, 2003; Rhodes, DiClemente, Cecil, (2007) described a campus culture where heterosexually- Hergenrather, & Yee, 2002; Rosario, Schrimshaw, Hunter, & identifed women engaged in same-sex erotic behavior during Braun, 2006; Rowen & Malcolm, 2002). Much research on parties, later posting the pictorial evidence to social media. self-identifed heterosexuals hooking up with same-sex partners Often attributed to alcohol consumption, these encounters focused on African-American men, despite White men more included kissing and fondling breasts or buttocks, but no commonly exhibiting this disparity (Bleich & Taylor-Clark, genital contact, and allowed young women to mark them- 2005; Ford et al., 2007; King, 2004; Ross, Essien, Wiliams, & selves as “edgy” (Hamilton, 2007). Fernandez-Esquer, 2003; Ward, 2015). This focus may stem However, suggesting that women engage in this behavior only from perceptions that “the down low” is limited to African- to attract men may obscure some functions of these encoun- American men due to the origins of the term or heightened ters. In one study, two female roommates reported dancing surveillance of the sexuality of men of color (Ward, 2015). naked together when they were alone in their room, but jok- Women also seek out same-sex sexual partners while iden- ingly dismissed it as an activity for “when they were bored,” tifying as heterosexual (Walker, 2014a, b), although research while another study found women dismissing private same-sex on students included only small samples of 80 or fewer (Dia- hookups as a result of inebriation (Hamilton, 2007; Wade, 2017). mond, 2003; Hamilton, 2007; Peterson & Gerrity, 2006), and Hooking up with other
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